Pope Francis Celebrates Inaugural Mass

New Pontiff Maintains Humble Tone in Deeply Symbolic Event; Calls on Secular and Religious Leaders to Protect the Poor

Pope Francis eschewed the usual bullet-proof papal motorcade en route to his inauguration. WSJ's Stacy Meichtry said the Mass, in which the new pope talked about St. Francis of Assisi and the environment, reflected his distinct view of the world.

By

Gordon Fairclough and

Stacy Meichtry

Updated March 19, 2013 12:59 p.m. ET

VATICAN CITY—The Catholic Church's first New World pontiff formally began his ministry Tuesday with a call for politicians, priests and others in positions of power to protect society's weakest and poorest members.

Standing on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis told a group of heads of state, among a crowd of tens of thousands gathered for his inaugural Mass, that secular and religious leaders must act as "custodians" for "every creation of God."

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The new pope, an Argentine Jesuit elected last week to lead the scandal-tarnished church, has moved swiftly to set a more humble tone for the papacy, departing from some of the customary pomp and fueling hopes for change in Rome.

Tuesday's Mass, a deeply symbolic event watched closely by the clergy as well as those in the pews, signaled Pope Francis' intention to focus on serving the disadvantaged—as well as his desire to readjust the priorities of the church hierarchy.

ENLARGE

Pope Francis waves from the pope-mobile to the crowd gathered around St. Peter's Square, including nuns and priests, as his ministry begins.
ANSA/Zuma Press

"I'd like to ask, please, to anyone who is in charge of the economy, politics, society—to all men and women of good will—let's be custodians of creation and of the design of God inscribed in nature—custodian of others and of the environment," the pope said.

Dressed in simple, white vestments—rather than the golden robes and ornate miter that his predecessor, Benedict XVI, donned at his inauguration eight years ago—the pope presided over a shortened ceremony installing him as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. The Fisherman's Ring bestowed upon him as an emblem of his authority was gold-plated silver, rather than the traditional solid gold.

"He's the right person for the church now," said Patricia Daste, a 50-year-old who flew from Buenos Aires to attend the Mass. "He's easy to understand. He has lived a simple life. The poor are at the center of his thoughts."

Francis, the 266th pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, is inheriting an institution struggling to deal with the fallout of years of child sexual abuse by priests and infighting within the Vatican's central administration—problems that have alienated believers.

The new pontiff faces the challenge of reviving Catholicism in former church strongholds in Europe and parts of Latin America where it now is in decline, ministering to growing congregations in Africa and Asia, and inspiring the church's priests, monks and nuns.

A Papacy Begins

The papal pallium is fitted on Pope Francis during his inaugural Mass. Reuters

His back-to-basics message resonated with many. "So many things have gone wrong for the church. There's a need for reformation," said Veronica Okosun, a 41-year-old Nigerian nun who welcomed Francis' emphasis on charity. "We know he's going to do something useful."

Preaching to an audience that included U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, the first Roman Catholic to hold that office; German Chancellor Angela Merkel; and Argentine President Cristina Kirchner among other world leaders, the pope called for a defense of the needy and the environment.

Speaking under clear, blue skies, Francis warned that "when man fails in his responsibility as custodian, when he doesn't take care of creation and his brothers, then we find space for destruction."

He said the papacy must "open its arms to all the people of God and embrace with affection and tenderness all of humanity, in particular the poorest, the weakest, the smallest…Whoever is hungry, thirsty; whoever is foreign, naked, sick, in prison."

Francis' approach marks a shift from that of Benedict, who stepped down in February, citing his advanced age and frailty. Benedict, now known as the emeritus pope, had a scholarly demeanor and was steeped in church traditions.

At his own inaugural in 2005, Benedict delved into the meaning behind the pomp and ceremony of the event, and described the world outside of Christianity as one of alienation and of "salted waters of suffering and death, a sea of darkness without light."

Pope Francis was officially installed as Pontiff; The Army bought a $300 Million blimp, and now the contractor wants it back; Internet providers oppose FCC recommendations on cyber-security. Photo: Getty Images.

During his papacy, Benedict in many ways defined the church in opposition to the secular world, seeking to strengthen its identity by focusing inward on its fundamental teachings and rituals.

"The will of God doesn't alienate us, it purifies us—perhaps in ways that are painful," Benedict said during his 2005 inauguration homily.

The two men also have widely divergent personal styles. Pope Francis on Tuesday used simple, straightforward language, unlike the at-times baroque rhetoric of the more-academically inclined Benedict.

Benedict, intent on reconnecting with and drawing strength from the church's deep traditions, revived the use of ornate vestments, such as an ermine-trimmed cape. Francis has so far eschewed such symbols and reiterated his desire to connect with the church's people.

On his way to Tuesday's Mass, Pope Francis rode in an open, white jeep, instead of the bulletproof pope-mobile often used by his predecessors, stopping to greet well wishers and getting out of the car to bless a disabled person.

Many Catholics have cheered the ascension of Francis, especially in Latin America, where his appointment is expected to reinvigorate the church, which has been losing ground recently to Protestant evangelicals.

In his home country of Argentina, however, some critics have raised questions about the pope's actions during years of military dictatorship, when two priests in his order were imprisoned by authorities. The pope has said he "moved like crazy" to win their release.

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